The Life and Death of Joseph Alleine, Letters · Letter 8 – Letter 9
LETTER, VIII. [How to shew love to Ministers, and live joyfully.]
To the most Loving and dearly Beloved, my Christian Friends in Taunton, Grace, Mercy, and Peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Most endeared Brethren,
I Have received your moving melting Letter, and could not look over such tender expressions of your working affections, without some commotions in my own: I may confidently say, I spent more Tears upon those Lines, than ever you did Ink: Your deep sense of my labours in the Ministry; I cannot but thankfully acknowledge, and take notice of: yet withal, heartily and unseingedly confessing, that all was but the duty which I did owe to your precious and immortal Souls: which God knows, are very much short of my duty. The omissions, imperfections, defects, deadness, that accompanied my duties I do own, I must and will own; and the Lord humble me for them. But all that was of God (and that was all that was good) be sure that you give to God alone. To him I humbly ascribe both the Will, and the Deed, to whom alone be Glory for ever.
My dear Brethren, my business as I have often told you, is not to gain your hearts, or turn your eyes towards me, but to Jesus Christ: his Spokesman I am, will you give your hearts to him? will you give your hands, your names to him? will you subscribe to his Laws, and consent to his Offices, and be at through defiance with all his Enemies? This do, and I have my Errant. Who will follow Christs Colours? who will come under his Banner? this shall be the man that shall be my Friend; this is he that will oblige me for ever. Do these Letters come to none that are yet unsanctified? to do loose sinner? to no ignorant sinner? to no unfound professor? Oh that there were none such indeed! oh that I had left no such behind me! but would they do me a kindness as I believe they would, oh then let them come away to Jesus Christ at this call! lie no longer O sinner, in thy swill, be no more in love with darkness! stick no longer in the skirts and outside of Religion, demure no longer, dispute not and waver no more, halt no further, but strike in throughly with Jesus Christ, except nothing, reserve nothing, but come off throughly to the Lord, and follow him fully. And then happy man that thou shalt be, for thou wilt be made for ever; and joyful man that I shall be, for I shall save a Soul from death. The earnest and pittiful beggings of a poor Prisoner, do use to move some Bowels: hear O Friends, will you do nothing for a Minister of Christ? Nothing for a Prisoner of Jesus Christ? methinks I hear you answer, [yea, rather what will we not do, he shall never want while we have it; he shall need no office of Love, but we will run and Ride to do it.] Yea, but this is not that I beg of you; will you gratifie me indeed? then come in, kiss the Son, bow to the Name of Jesus; not in a Complement, with Cap and Knee, but let your Souls bow, let all your Powers bend Sail, and do him homage. Let that Sacred Name be Graven into the substance of your hearts, and lie as a bundle of Mirrh between your Breasts. Let me freely speak for him, for he is worthy for whom you shall do this thing; worthy to be beloved of you; worthy to have your very hearts, worthy to be admired, adored, praised, served, glorified to the uttermost by you, and every Creature; worthy for whom you should lay down all, leave all: Can any thing be too much for him? can any thing be too good for him? Or too great for him? come give up all, Resign all, lay it at the Feet of Chrlst Jesus, offer all as a Sacrifice to him, see that you be universally the Lords; keep nothing from him: I know through the goodness of God, that with many of you this work is not yet to do: but this set solemn resignation to the Lord is to be done more than once; and to be followed with an answerable practice when it is done: See that you walk worthy of the Lord? but how? in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost; let these two go together. So shall you adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour: and experience, the Heavenly felicity of a Christians life: while Holiness is made the Butt of others Persecution, do you make it the white, the mark of your prosecution; that you live it up, as much as others cry it down. O watch, and keep your Garments about you; the plain, but comely clothing of humility, the seamless Coat of Christian unity, the strait and close Garment of strictness, mortification and Self-denial, the warm Winter-garment of love and charity, this Garment will keep you warm in the Winter: love will not be quenched by the Waters, nor cooled by the nipping Frosts of persecution and opposition. Cleave fast to Christ, never let go your hold; cling the faster, because so many are labouring to knock off your fingers, and loosen your hold. Hold fast your Profession, hold fast your Integrity, hold fast the beginning of your confidence stedfast to the end: If you do but keep your hold, and make good your ground, and keep your way; all that the World can do, and all that the powers of darkness can do, can never do you harm. Keep your own Vinyard with constant care and watchfulness, and be sure that there be no Inroad made upon your consciences, that the Eremy do not get between you and home, between your souls and God; and then let who or what will assail you without, you need not fear: let this be your daily exercise, to keep your consciences void of offence: keep fair weather at home, however it be abroad. But I would not only that you should walk holily, but that you should walk comfortably: But I need say the less to this, because the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, do lie together. Oh the provision God hath made for your continual joy and comfort! dear Brethren, do but understand your own blessedness, happy men that you are, if you did but know and consider it; who would count himself poor and miserable that hath All the fulness of the Godhead for his: sound in this deep: can you find any bottom? take the heighth of the Divine Perfections if you can, till then you cannot tell your own felicity. Take a servey of Immensity, tell me the longitude or latitude of infinite goodness and mercy, of the Eternal Diety: if you can do this, you may guess at your own happiness. Oh Christians! live like your selves, live worthy of your Portion, of your Priviledge, and your glorious prerogatives. I am in haste, and it is time for me to end; however, that you may walk worthy of your glorious hopes, and may live answerably to the mercies you have received from above, is the great desire of
Your Souls fervent well wisher in the bonds of affliction and tribvlation. JOS. ALLEINE. From the Prison at Juelchester, September 18. 1663.
LETTERS IX. [Easie Sufferings.]
To the most Loving and Beloved, my Christian Friends at Taunton, Salvation:
DEarly Beloved and longed for, my Joy and Crown, for whom I am an Embassadour in Bonds: what thanks to render to God in your behalf, I know not, for your servent charity towards me, and all the servants of my Lord, for all your labours of love, for all your diligence, and boldness, and resolution, in owning the despised ways, and hated servants of the Lord Jesus, in an evil day. The Lord is not unrighteous to forget this: Is not this upon record with him, and sealed up among his Treasures? surely the Lord will have mercy upon Taunton: I have no doubt but that the God of your Mercies hath yet a choice blessing in store for you; be not weakned by my Bonds. Glory be to God in the Highest, that he hath accounted me worthy not only to Preach the Gospel to you, but also to confirm it by the parting with my much valued liberty, so dear a People, so sweet Relations, comforts, conveniencies, which I enjoyed in all abundance when I was with you. When I look back upon all the circumstances of the late Providence, I must say as they of Christ upon his Miracles, He hath done all things well; it is all as I would have it, I am fully satisfied in my Fathers good pleasure. Verily there is no little honour and happiness, no little Peace and Privilidge in these Bonds. Verily all is true that I have told you of the All-sufficiency of God, of the fulness of Christ, of the satisfactoriness of the promises of the peace, tranquility, content, and security, that is to be had in a life of Faith. Surely methinks I should be content to seal to these things at a much dearer rate than this; but my gratious Father will not put me to the hardest Lesson at first: oh what reason have I to speak good of his name! what else should I do all my days, but love, and fear, and preach, and praise, so good a God? when I look back upon the gentle dealings of God with me, I often think he hath brought me up as indulgently as David did Adonijah, of whom it is said, His Father had not displeased him. I have received nothing but good at the hands of the Lord all my days; and now he doth begin to afflict, I see so much Mercy in this very Gaol, that I must be more thankful for this than for my prosperity. Surely the name of the place is, The Lord is here: Surely it may be called Peniel. Be strong in the Lord, my Brethren, be patient, stablish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draws nigh. In nothing be terrified by your adversaries. Now let those that fear the Lord be often speaking one to another. I hear that Satan is practising to send more of you after me: I desire and pray for your liberty: but if any of you be forced hither for the the testimony of the Gospel, I shall embrace you with both arms. Fare you well, my most dearly Beloved: be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you. My Brethren in Bonds salute you with much affection, rejoycing to behold your order and the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ: share my heart among you, and know that I am
The willing Servant of your Faith and Joy, Joseph Aleine. From the common Gaol at Juelchester, September 28. 1663.